In Mexico, Auto Plants Hit the Gas

By NICHOLAS CASEY

PUEBLA, Mexico—Mexico is taking center-stage in the production of cars, where lower costs and skilled workers are reordering the global auto market.

Six years ago, Mexico was the world’s ninth largest exporter of cars. Today the country is ranked fourth—behind Germany, Japan and South Korea—with exports expected to total more than 2.14 million vehicles this year.

One in 10 cars sold last year in the U.S. was made in Mexico. Next year, every new taxi in New York’s fleet—made by Nissan Motor Co. 7201.TO -3.49%—will carry the “Hecho en Mexico” label. Mexico is now exporting vehicles to China, and even helped Japan keep up with orders after last year’s tsunami.

Mexico’s Economy Minister Bruno Ferrari boasted that a batch of new factories planned by car makers will help Mexico surpass South Korea in a few years. Volkswagen AG, VOW3.XE +1.68%Honda Motor Co., 7267.TO -2.60%General Motors Co., GM +0.47%Mazda Motor Corp., 7261.TO -2.60%Fiat SpA, F.MI -1.30%Daimler AG DAI.XE +1.61%and Nissan have all announced expansions in the past year. Volkswagen’s Audi unit plans a new $1.3 billion plant.

For decades, the free world drove cars made primarily in the U.S., Germany and Japan. But a global shift toward smaller cars has put pressure on profit margins, forcing car companies to find lower-cost manufacturing elsewhere.

“Mexico is extremely competitive,” Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s chief executive, said in an interview. Plants in Mexico operate more hours a year than other Nissan facilities world-wide. “You can run your plants with practically no limits if you want,” he said.

Also bolstering Mexico’s appeal, he said, are currency advantages and the high productivity of Mexican employees. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444083304578018462369529592.html

Final Frontier: Firms Flock to Newly Opened Myanmar .

By PATRICK BARTA

For decades an isolated military dictatorship, Myanmar’s political reforms have heralded new opportunities for international businesses seeking emerging markets in which to expand. WSJ’s Patrick Barta reports. Photo: Christopher Davy for WSJ.

YANGON, Myanmar—For Tim Love, a vice chairman of advertising giant Omnicom Group, OMC -0.73%it was an opportunity too good to pass up: an entire country, off the map for most Western investors for decades, embracing foreign investment in a place with untapped energy resources and 60 million people.

Here was Myanmar, also known as Burma, with the wagons “going full speed,” says Mr. Love, and clients clamoring to get a foothold.

But doing business here is something of a challenge. As a former military state, Myanmar has minimal infrastructure for conducting international business. Most foreign cellphone plans don’t work there, and newcomers must carry a lot of cash because it is hard to get money. Mr. Love himself met with a local advertising firm whose website credits its founder with “the actual creation of Myanmar’s advertising industry.” How did he find the company? He typed “advertising in Myanmar” into the Internet.

‘Made in America’ Has Its Limits

By JAMES R. HAGERTY

ELMA, N.Y.—The Made in America Store here displays plastic fly swatters, toilet brushes and cowboy hats made of vinyl and cardboard. Visitors also find tiddlywinks, EZ-DUZ-IT manual can openers, Wigwam socks and wood signs with slogans such as “Caution: Dog can’t hold its licker.”

Just don’t come here looking for high fashion or high tech.

Mark Andol, who opened the store about 15 miles southeast of Buffalo, N.Y., 2½ years ago, has basked in national television coverage and received an invitation to a White House seminar for his efforts to promote goods made in the U.S. But stocking his store with fashionable merchandise has proved a challenge, partly because Mr. Andol has a very strict definition of “made in America.”

Manufacturing is showing signs of a modest revival in the U.S. Some companies have brought home production of items, including refrigerators and hand mixers, formerly made abroad. But clothing, electronic goods and many other day-to-day staples still tend to come from overseas.

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How Japan Lost Its Electronics Crown

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Starbucks Will Open Cafes in India

MUMBAI—Starbucks Corp. is setting up shop across India in a move that may give the government a much-needed pick-me-up in the process.

The coffee retailer said on Monday it is entering India in a joint venture with the Tata Group, India’s flagship conglomerate. The agreement paves the way for the companies to set up cafes around the country and sell Indian coffee globally.

Coca-Cola Is Banking on a Thirsty World

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the iconic, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” commercial. On Tuesday, investors will hear about management’s progress in their less-altruistic goal of getting the world to buy a Coke. Analysts expect Coca-Cola Co. to show fourth-quarter sales rose almost 5% year-over-year, to nearly $11 billion. This is further progress in its campaign, known as 2020 Vision, to reach unit sales double the current daily rate of 1.7 billion beverages, or 89 servings for everyone on the planet each year.

End of Era for Japan’s Exports

TOKYO—One of the world’s greatest export engines is running out of steam.

For decades, Japan used the combination of manufacturing might and an export-oriented trade policy to shower markets around the world with its cars and consumer electronics and semiconductors.

The 10 Worst Mistakes of First-Time Job Hunters

If you’re in your final year of college, be warned: the rumors about landing a job in this economy are true. You should be taking steps today, not next semester, to prepare yourself.

An April 2011 survey conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Adecco Staffing U.S. found that 71% of 500 recent four-year college graduates would have done something differently to prepare for the job market.  While companies will hire 9.5% more graduates from the class of 2012 than they did from the 2011 graduating class, according to another poll, employers are still looking for the pick of the litter.

“When you’re not familiar with the job market or job seeking, you really don’t know how much effort it will take,” said Kathy Kane, senior vice president of talent management for Adecco NA,

To find out what students can do to better prepare for the current job market, we spoke with career coaches, recruiters and recent graduates.

IBM’s Start-Up Strategy Beginning To Pay Off

International Business Machines Corp. has spent the last two years building direct relationships with entrepreneurs that can help it grow its business. Now it’s getting an early indication that the strategy is working.

It announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Streetline Inc., a start-up that’s developing technologies to shorten a driver’s search for an empty parking spot.

IBM’s growth plans rely on its ability to understand and capitalize on emerging technology trends coming out of innovative young companies. For the last decade, it has leaned on its relationships with venture capitalists to steer it towards the best companies, but changing dynamics in the venture industry have made IBM realize that it needs a more direct channel to entrepreneurs.